Nursing or midwifery - retraining at 40ish

[IveFoundOldBear]

I'm considering starting to retrain for either nursing or midwifery from 2025 or 2026 and wondered if anyone had any recent experience of doing this?

I have worked in the care sector for the past 5 years after previously being in customer services all my working life. The last two years I've worked as a HCSW across maternity and community nursing which I really love. A part of me wants to just continue with what im doing - there is some great progression for HCSWs now and I've never been overly ambitious as long as I'm enjoying work.

But part of me is so so tempted to embark on either midwifery or nursing and qualify if I could.

I've never really known what I've wanted to do career wise but I always love studying - I did a degree after school and am currently back studying in a relevant area and would plan to spend next couple years getting the access grades I need (turns out as my exams were 20 years ago need to refresh lots!!).

I'm so tempted to use these couple of years to get ready and apply when both my kids are in school, but I'd be graduating at 40 or 41.

Has anyone done this? Has anyone also been torn between midwifery or nursing?

All input and thoughts so welcome!!! Thanks so much!

From memory there are quite a few posters on this board retraining in nursing at a similar age. May be worth browsing through previous threads?

Thank you! Found some now, been having a good read!

Excellent!

Midwifery is MUCH more competitive to get into than adult nursing. You'll also find that aged 40 ish you'll be nowhere near the oldest !

I did think that... I wondered if it was just near me that that was the case but there's only one university commutable doing midwifery, whereas a few for nursing, and when I spoke to the one for midwifery to clarify some entry requirements they did stress how competitive it was to get into.

I love working in labour wards on the bank and ever since I started doing odd maternity shifts I've felt so excited about just being there part of the team... but equally I really love the work I'm currently doing in the community and the nurses I work with are very inspiring.

I reckon my absolute dream dream job would be being a community midwife but I imagine it's even harder to get a job in the community after qualifying than it is to get in to train!!

I'm a community midwife. There's a massive shortage of community midwives in our trust. You would be welcomed with open arms once qualified.

Oh really? That's really interesting. I thought that would be a really sought after area to work in. How do you find it?

I'm a few months away from retirement and finding it a bit tough tbh. It's very full on.

Positives are that you have the opportunity to build lovely relationships with your clientele and it's so nice when you get to see women through more than one pregnancy. Where I work we mainly work 9-5 with occasional variations.

Negatives are just workload - as a hospital mw if you don't have time to do something you pass it along to the next shift whereas in community it's your work and you find yourself stretching your hours to get it done.